Sunday, May 13, 2007

Blue Lobster Encore

That one night was enough to draw me back just three days later. This time I was down with Uncle Gary and Aunty Lily (note: real relatives) and I'll feature items that were not in the previous visit.

The Ceasar Salad with Grilled Chicken was simple but the crunchy greens, aromatic olive oil, bits of hard-boiled egg and cheese made for a yummy starter. The cheese was just a sprinkling, not an overload like some other places, and made this lighter and healthier too. The pieces of grilled chicken (somehow not shown in the above pic) were sufficiently tender.

The next shared starter was the Lobster Ravioli ($15). The ravioli was cooked till al dente but I didn't like the filling which I found to be too floury and bland. Fortunately, the sauce was extremely tasty and would make a good lobster bisque. Full-bodied and with the unmistakable natural essence of the crustacean, I soon realised I was mopping up the remaining sauce with bread.

The fresh lobster flesh was placed atop the ravioli and had just a hint of sweetness. The caviar gave the dish what I can only describe as a 'fishy saltiness'.

Deciding to go for the Premium Trawler Catch of the Day ($30) again, my anticipated moment of joy was turned into disappointment. I should have known better. The choice of fish available that day was John Dory. The fillets were fresh and moist but thin and rather bland. It reminded me too much of those horrible frozen Dory fillets that many restaurants, cafes and even hawker stalls that sell 'Western' food serve. If only Mr Red Coral Trout was still around...

Dad was estatic that he finally got his hands, and teeth, on the Australian Rack of Lamb with Provence Herb & Garlic Rosemary Sauce ($36). And it was not hard to see why. Even I, who is not a big lamb fan, found the meat tender and juicy. A bit of the lamb-y smell was present but thankfully it was not off-putting nor overwhelming. I like the herb crust.

Mum's King Salmon Souffle with Tarragon Sauce ($29) was a bag of mixed reactions. While I found nothing wrong with the salmon patty thingy, I did not like the white foam (egg white/cream?) with its strong tasting parlsey flavour. Most probably something I would not be ordering for myself on future visits. I would rather suck John Dory fillets.

The Iced Ivory Chocolate Souffles with Perles Craquantes ($10) was rather unique. It had this circular block that tasted of white chocolate yet had that dense cheesecake feel. It wasn't as fanastic as the Peach Gratin with Mascarpone Sabayon & Lime Sorbet ($9) though.